Mediateca

A beach (B1)
Read the article and then do comprehension exercise. Finally, do some writing yourself.
Action research - stop,start,continue (B1)
This is an idea I got from a workshop that I went to many years ago. I have used it many times since and found it to be a really useful way of getting feedback from my students on my lessons and my teaching. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/othertry/action_research.shtml
Adventure sports (B1)
We take a look at the Peak District. We don't need to go abroad to see beautiful countryside, for a lot of us, it's almost on our doorstep. The countryside's not just filled with walkers, either; adventure sports have never been more popular.
A food revolution (B1)
Fish 'n' chips? Meat and two veg? If you think this is the limit to our culinary expertise, you need to take a fresh look at the state of British cuisine. Find out what we're eating, why we're eating it, and where we're buying it from.
Alternative power: a car that runs on air (B1)
This lesson focuses on developing understanding of a text about a car that runs on air. The exercises guide the students through developing an understanding of the key areas of the text. They also develop the ability to deduce the meaning of words from their context. In the final part of the lesson there are materials that help to structure a discussion of some of the important issues that suround the text.
A nation of curry lovers (B1)
The British love affair with Indian food shows no signs of abating. Curry is more popular than ever and has become an established part of life in the UK
A new kind of city living (B1)
Animals (B1)
What's the largest animal in the world? What's the strongest? And the most poisonous? How much do you know about animals Try this quiz!
Animals of the rainforest (B1)
Match rainforest animals with their descriptions.
Animal world records (B1)
Learn about the record breakers of the animal kingdom.
Are you a record breaker? (B1)
How many books can you balance on your head? Can you beat your friend?
Axial Symmetry (MatemáticasSegunda LenguaB1)
Más información sobre la simetría axial y la diferencia entre los ejes.
Brain quiz (B1)
How much do you know about the human body?
Calloway´s code (B1)
When Calloway sent a message in code from the war front in order to get it past the censors, the whole office of the New York Enterprise newsaper got to work to decipher it and reveal the biggest scoop of the year.
Chefs in training (B1)
South Trafford College is a college with a specialised cookery course. We go behind the scenes and take a look at what the star chefs of tomorrow get up to.
Childhood stories (B1)
This series of activities enables students to practice what are traditionally called 'language skills' (reading, writing, etc.) in the context of their own lives and learn more about each other in the process.
City breaks by night (B1)
Newcastle has a very cosmopolitan nightlife. The streets are crowded with people partying and having a good time. The night isn't just about drinking though - there are friends to meet, music to dance to and good times to be had.
Classroom issues (B1)
Learners have a lot of ideas about how they should learn a language and it is important to encourage them to discuss these and to communicate them to the teacher.
Clean beaches and empty spaces (B1)
Why go to a remote village, with no night-clubs or cinemas? We take a look at Craster, in the north-east of England to find out why. We also take a trip to the beach, to see what people do on our beaches these days.
Crazy World News (B1B2)
This is a newspaper about Science Fiction, where you can found diferents stories.
Cricket (B1)
Do you know your wicket from your crease and your innings from your pitch? Match cricket-related words to their meanings.
Cuisenaire rods for storytelling (B1)
During this lesson, learners will have the opportunity to tell a story as it is happening, use new vocabulary and re-tell the story orally or in writing using narrative tenses. There will be the chance to use time phrases in a context which they have created themselves.
Design a zoo (B1)
Can you design the perfect zoo?
Developing writing skills: a news report (B1)
This lesson takes a process approach to developing writing skills. It is staged so that students are guided through the processes of collecting information and deciding how they will structure it within the text before they begin to write. They are then guided through the process of drafting, editing and redrafting the text to produce a final copy
Directions (B1)
Left? Right? Straight on?. Look at the map! Write directions to the places in the town.
Diverse society, football and food (B1)
Read all the information about England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and then do comparison activity (1) and comparison activity (2), which look at different icons and typical things from the four regions.
Dolphins: Quiz (B1)
How much do you know about dolphins? Try a quiz! Click on 'one player' if you are playing by yourself, or on 'two player' if you are playing with a friend.
Elements (B1)
Match the symbols with the names of the elements.
Energy saving homes for everyone (B1)
Read about developments in sustainable housing and how they can be adapted to fit any home.
Essential UK: Gadgets (B1)
This lesson is based on the topic of gadgets. It may be difficult for you or students to think of a direct translation of the word ‘gadget’ in their language.
Essential UK: London olympics 2012 (B1)
This lesson is based around the Olympics games and gives students the opportunity to broaden their vocabulary of sports and to think about the qualities of the Olympic games’ host cities.
Essential UK: Mobile Phones (B1)
This lesson is about mobile phones and the issues that surround them. Students have the chance to learn some vocabulary related to phones and to do a quiz to test their knowledge of mobiles.
Essential UK: Robots (B1)
This lesson is based around robots and will encourage students to talk about how science is developing and influencing out everyday lives.
Exams (B1)
At the top are words related to exams. Below are the definitions of these words. Can you put the correct words in the boxes?
Fairy tale magic (B1)
Another common element in many fairy tales is magic. In this activity we look at some common fairy tales that contain examples of the use of magic.
Food and drink idioms (B1)
At the top are 15 pictures of different types of food and drink. Below are idiomatic expressions that use the names of the food and drink. Can you put the pictures in the right boxes?
Football positions (B1)
Football positions: test your knowledge of who plays where on the football pitch.
Free galleries and museums (B1)
The ‘traditional’ places to see art, some of these galleries and museums are anything but! The buildings show how space can be re-used and many are part of urban regeneration throughout the UK.
Frequency adverbs (B1)
Arrange the frequency adverbs in order from the most frequent to the least frequent.
Games: A dark and stormy night (B1)
The main focus of the activity is on developing writing skills, but it's also good for developing listening speaking and reading skills and also for practising past tenses, descriptive vocabulary and generally having fun.
Games: Dating games (B1)
This is a great activity for getting students talking. I have used it successfully with many different levels and age groups and have found that it is very effective at motivating teenagers to talk. It is particularly useful for practising describing appearance, character and interests.
Games: Grammar auction (B1)
This is a teacher led auction. It can be played with mixed language points which are causing difficulty or on a specific area, as in the example.
Games: Lost your voice (B1)
This is like a role-play activity with no dialogue! It needs a little bit of preparation time for you to write out the ‘problem cards’. You can imagine any scenario where functional language would be used, such as at the train station, in a restaurant or at the shops. Set the scene by telling the students where they are.
Games: One word stories (B1)
This activity is extremely simple. Each student adds a word to create a group story. Despite the simplicity it can be really challenging and I would only use it with higher levels.
Games: Story telling grid (B1)
This is a low preparation but high output activity which I have used successfully with teens and adults. The aim of the activity is to get students to orally create a short story in small groups or pairs.
Games: Transport (A2B1)
Quiz: How much do you know about transport? Try this quiz! Click on "one player" if you are playing by yourself, and "two player" if you are playing with a friend. There are ten questions - how many will you get right?
Global warming (B1)
The greenhouse effect is caused by global warming. The stages of the greenhouse process are on the left, but they are not in the correct order. Can you put the stages in the right order?
Got ball skills? (B1)
Have you got any ball skills? Would you make a good goalkeeper? Test your reaction skills by catching the ball
Great craic, live music, and the ulster fry (B1)
Read all the information about England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and then do comparison activity (1) and comparison activity (2), which look at different icons and typical things from the four regions.
Imperatives (B1)
Below are instructions for making a telephone call but they are in the wrong order. Use your mouse to move them up or down to the correct places.
In my father´s footsteps (B1)
Today was a pilgrimage. Today – for Andy – was a day like going to Rome, or sick people to Lourdes, or the people walking to Santiago de Compostela, or even Mecca. But Andy is a different type of pilgrim .
Language, rugby, and the millenium stadium (B1)
Read all the information about England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and then do comparison activity (1) and comparison activity (2), which look at different icons and typical things from the four regions.
Make - Do (B1)
At the top are 24 expressions that go with "make" or "do". Drag each expression into the correct area.
Mobile phones (B1)
In this lesson plan the students will have plenty of opportunities to express themselves on the use of mobile phones in public and how they themselves use mobile phones.
Multiple intelligences: What are you good at? (B1)
Everyone learns in different ways - knowing this, and knowing how they learn, helps students to be more confident and find ways to improve their English. It may also help them to learn more effectively in other areas of their lives.
Music on the street (B1)
The revolution of how and where we listen to music has been matched by a revolution in what we listen to.
Newspapers (B1)
Match the words and definitions.
New superheroes (B1)
The leading American comic book publisher, Marvel Comics, is starting a new comic book, which it hopes will become as popular as its classics, "Spiderman", "Superman" and "The Incredible Hulk". But in this comic book the heroes will be ordinary New York police, firefighters and paramedics.
Noughts and crosses quiz games (B1)
I have found this game to be very popular with teenagers although it can be used with both younger learners and adult groups as well. I often use it as a warmer or as an end of lesson game.
Opticians and dentists (B1)
Who is? opticians or dentists
Parts of the body (B1)
Read the article and then do an activity that practises your understanding of it. Finally, do some writing yourself.
Parts of the body (B1)
Match the words and pictures.
People records (B1)
Try a quiz about people!
Pirates: Quiz (B1)
How much do you know about pirates? Click on 'one player' and try a quiz, or click on 'two player' to try a quiz with your friend. You'll get ten questions about pirates. Can you choose the right answers? Yo Ho Ho!
Planet Saturn (B1)
What do you know about the planet Saturn? Try this quiz!
Planets (B1)
There are nine planets in our solar system. There are some descriptions of the planets below. Which of these planets is closest to the sun?
Present perfect - past simple (B1)
Drag the words and expressions at the top into the gaps below to make sentences.
Primary tips: In the Town (B1)
This is a popular topic with young learners as it is easy for them to relate to the situations and it provides many opportunities to practise using the language in a communicative and real context.
Primary tips: Machines (B1)
Children are often fascinated by machines; the way they work, inventing their own. We are not going to go into the scientific intricacies of machines here but instead use the topic of machines to provide a wide range of sub-topics that will enable the children to experiment with their imaginations.
Print and do: Dolphins (B1)
How much do you know about dolphins? Fill the gaps
Print and do: Popular toys (B1)
Read about traditional and modern toys.
Print and do: School rules (B1)
What school rules would you have in your ideal school?
Rainforests (B1)
How much do you know about tropical rainforests? Read the text about rainforests - you'll find it under the picture. Now look at the question on the right. Can you choose the right answer? There are ten texts and ten questions. Can you get them all right? Good luck!
Rainforests in danger (B1)
The rainforests - and their plants and animals - are in danger. Why?
Recycling (B1)
At the top are the names of 20 things to be thrown away. Below are 5 different types of recycling bins. Can you put the names in the correct bins? In each bin the 4 names must be in alphabetical order.
Reflexive pronouns (B1)
At the top are personal pronouns for 1st, 2nd and 3rd persons singular and plural. Below is a table to put them in. Can you put them in the right boxes?
Rescue at sea - The RNLI (B1)
Read the article and then do comprehension exercise. Finally, do some writing yourself.
Saint Patrick´s day (B1)
Read the article and then do comprehension exercise. Finally, do some writing yourself.
Saturn (B1)
Saturn is the sixth planet in our solar system. Here are eight sentences about Saturn. Each sentence has a gap, or a space. There are eight words above the sentences. Each word goes into one of the spaces. Which word goes in which space? Click on the words and drag them into the right spaces.
Scotland (B1)
Read all the information about England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and then do comparison activity (1) and comparison activity (2), which look at different icons and typical things from the four regions
Sculptures in the park (B1)
Sculpture is a classic artform but you don’t have to go to a museum to find it. See some beautiful art outside!
Sea transport: The story of the Titanic (B1)
Find out about the story of this famous ship.
Secret message (B1)
Use the symbols to decipher the secret code.
Shopping Song (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet:Do you like shopping? Listen to a song about shops and shopping.
Solar system (B1)
There are nine planets in our solar system. How much do you know about them? Try this quiz!
Songs & Lyrics: Tooth Family (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: An adult person has thirty two teeth. We have to look after our teeth if we don't want to lose them. The Tooth Family are singing a song about looking after your teeth. Listen and sing along!
Songs & Lyrics: Alphabet - Song (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Practise the alphabet with this song.
Songs & Lyrics: Animal House (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Listen to an animal song, and sing along with the words.
Songs & Lyrics: Dinosaur One to Ten (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Dinosaurs lived on Earth 230 - 65 million years ago. This is called the Mesozoic Era. Listen to this song about different dinosaurs.
Songs & Lyrics: Everything Beneath the Sea (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Listen to this song about different animals that live in the sea. You can do a puzzle while you wait for the song to download.
Songs &Lyrics: Monster Rap (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet:Song is a hairy monster and he lives on a star. Listen to this song about a monster.
Songs & Lyrics: Old MacDonald (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Old MacDonald is a farmer. He has lots of animals on his farm - and they make a lot of noise! Listen to this song about Old MacDonald and his farm.
Songs & Lyrics: Pizza and Chips (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Molly, Tommy, Wendy, Thelma, Freddy, Sally and Simon are all asleep in bed. They hear something at the window? What is it?
Songs & Lyrics: The Scary Skeleton (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: An adult person has thirty two teeth. We have to look after our teeth if we don't want to lose them. The Tooth Family are singing a song about looking after your teeth. Listen and sing along!
Songs & Lyrics: We're Going to Win! (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: One, two, three, four. How about another score? Two, four, six, eight, We're going to win!
Songs & Lyrics: When the Circus comes to Town (B1)
Song (flash) with lyrics and worksheet: Listen to a song about a circus - look at the words and sing along! You can do a puzzle while you wait for the song to download.
Spies (B1)
Here is a wordsearch. There are ten words in the puzzle. The words are all connected to spies.
Sporting records (Segunda LenguaB1)
Which football team has won five world cups? Who can run the fastest mile? Try this quiz! Here are ten questions about some sporting records. Click on 'one player' if you are playing by yourself, or 'two player' if you are playing with a friend. Read the questions and choose the best answer!
Spotlight (B1)
Images of homes from around the UK
Spotlight - gaming (Segunda LenguaB1)
Meet some UK gamers and find out what games they like to play and why.
Square of word (B1)
Beach word search
Sunlight energy (B1)
Although the UK lags behind some other countries in the use of solar power, tens of thousands of homes are using the sun to heat their water. Nicky and Sal tell us why they chose 'sunlight energy'.
Superheroes (B1)
Here is some information about some famous superheroes. In the purple boxes (on the left) you'll see the names of some superheroes (for example Spider-Man). In the pink boxes (on the right) you'll find some information about the superheroes. Click on the arrows in the boxes to scroll all of the texts.
Superlative (B1)
What are some of the highest, longest and fastest things in the world? Here are eight sentences. There is a gap in each sentence. You need to put a word in the gaps. There are eight words above the sentences. Use your mouse to put the right words in the gaps.
Superlative (B1)
What's the world's largest continent? What's the world's longest river? How much do you know about the world? Try this quiz!
Superlatives adjectives (B1)
Below are 12 pictures of different people, animals or things. Above are the superlative adjectives and nouns that go with them. Can you put the words in the right boxes?
Teaching tips: Activities on the theme of summer 2 (B1)
Here’s a second group of tasks to get your students’ in the mood for summer. Some of these tasks are more suited to intermediate learners and up.
Teaching tips: Activities on the theme of summer (B1)
With the summer holidays approaching it might be nice to base some of your lessons around this seasonal theme. Here is a selection of activities that you can use a various levels.
Teaching tips: End of year activities (B1)
You may be thinking about what to do in the last few classes with each group. Here are three ideas for you to end the course on a high note.
Teddies (B1)
Many children have a teddy bear. Some people keep their teddies until they are old! Find out about the history of teddy bears with this quiz.
Tennis (B1)
Do you know your deuce from your love and your lob from your volley? Match tennis-related words to their meanings.
Test your level: Reading (B1)
Try this test to know how good you are at reading in English. This test will give you a general idea about your language skills. Enjoy it!
The Ballad of Lisa the Lemur (B1)
A lemur is a "primate" - an animal that is similar to a monkey. Lemurs live only on Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. Listen to a song about lemurs.
The dreamtime (B1)
The Dreamtime is the central, unifying theme in Australian Aboriginal mythology. It describes the process of the world being called into being. The Australian Aboriginal culture is based on nature in every aspect. Most of their mythological heroes are animals common in Australia.
The golden boys (B1)
A bored teenager cannot take any more of the golden boys after twelve years of humiliation on holidays.
The holiday maze (B1B2)
This is a reading and speaking activity. Students make decisions in pairs or groups with the aim of going on a successful holiday. It is based on a 'maze' principle, which gives students different options and a variety of different holiday outcomes.
The home design revolution (B1)
See for yourself how the UK is going DIY mad with home developmet projects transforming drab interiors.
The interesting most boring man in the world (B1)
People often said that Thierry Boyle was the most boring man in the world. He didn’t know why people thought he was so boring. Thierry thought he was quite interesting. But he was unhappy because people thought he was boring.
The liverpool scene (B1)
Liverpool is recognised for its musical past but here you can see some of the bands that make up the city's musical future
The nine planets (B1)
Match planets with their descriptions.
The secret motorcycle (B1)
Giacomo de Filippo has a secret motorcycle ... or so he thinks! Sometimes you think that you are the main actor in your life, but then you find out that you are only a minor character in someone else’s ...
Thumb print stories (B1)
The students make a thumb print story about their last holiday (real or invented) using a blank cartoon page and an ink pad. They practice regular and irregular past simple verbs and holiday vocabulary.
Transport (B1)
Here are ten questions about transport. Click on "one player" if you are playing by yourself, and "two player" if you are playing with a friend. There are ten questions - how many will you get right?
Two peas in a pod (B1)
Edie and Evie are identical twins. Identical in appearance, but their personalities are not at all identical. Things get very weird when one of them pretends to be the other ..
Using a story: Miko the monkey (B1)
This lesson uses a story and quiz to develop the reading and vocabulary of primary age young learners. The lesson can be done in class using the paper based materials or, to add an extra level of engagement, it can be done using the interactive materials on British Council's LearnEnglish Kids site.
What can you do? (B1)
You can play a big part in how the impacts of climate change are tackled. Find out how to adjust your lifestyle to lessen your impact on your environment.
What people are listening to in stoke-on-trent (B1)
Meet some students form Keele University near Stoke-on-Trent, the birth place of Robbie Williams. See what they like to listen to?
Where home is (B1)
This poignant story is about refugees in a place where they don't belong. They spend time listening to sad, sad songs and wondering if they will ever go home.
Wordsearch - Rainforest animals (B1)
Here is a wordsearch. There are ten words in the puzzle. They are all animals that live in the rainforests. Click on a clue. It's a description of an animal - what's the animal? Can you find it in the wordsearch? The word could be upwards, downwards, across, backwards - even diagonal! When you have found the ten words in the puzzle click on 'submit'.
Words: Sports (A2B1)
Matching pictures to words: At the top are pictures of 15 different types of sports. Below are the names of the sports. Can you put the pictures in the right boxes?
Words: Transport (A2B1)
At the top are pictures of 15 different means of transport. Below are the names of the means of transport. Can you put the pictures in the right boxes?
World cup round up (B1)
World Cup round-up: A look back at the action at the World Cup in Germany.
World records (B1)
How much do you know about the world's extremes?
Writing and elementary learners (B1B2)
This article is about bringing some energy and excitement to the process of writing in the classroom. It's about how to create a writing environment that is 'authentic,' and purposeful. It's about leaving in the communicative element of writing. In other words, it's about how to get our elementary students motivated to write.
www reading task - hollidays on the web (B1)
Simple search tasks are incredibly easy to set students using the web as a language learning tool. They don't have to be particularly complicated, or even well-researched, although this helps!
Young people and television (B1)
In this lesson the students will look at the television viewing habits of young people in the UK and compare them to the habits of young people in their own country.
Zoo animals (B1)
How much do you know about animals? Here are ten questions about animals you can see in zoos. Click on 'one player' if you are playing by yourself, or 'two player' if you are playing with a friend. Read the questions and choose the best answer!
Words: Computer (B1B2)
Categorising: Here are some words we use when talking about computers. Can you put them in the correct category, nouns or verbs?
Words: Football (B1B2)
Matching things and definitions: Here are some verbs we use when talking about football. Can you match them with the definitions?
Essential UK:Friends (B1)
A series of activities to help students to talk about their friends and the different types of friendships they have inside and outside their immediate family. It will be important in the initial stages of the lesson to distinguish between acquaintance, friend and best or close friends. There is a second theme which looks at the role of new technology in building and maintaining friendships.
Essential UK:Young Drinkers (B1)
This lesson consists of a text on binge drinking problems in the UK and is followed by tasks to encourage students to talk about their own attitudes towards alcohol.
Words: Talking about TV (B1B2)
Vocabulary and Reading: Here are five words that we can use when we talk about TV. Can you put the words in the right places?
Language Practice (B1B2)
On-line exercise on prepositions to talk about football
Action plan for Teachers: a guideto teaching English (B1B2)
"Action Plan for Teachers - a guide to teaching English A 44 page illustrated book on the subject of English Language Teaching. The book covers the topics of planning and preparing lessons, teaching methodology and classroom practice, using technology in the classroom, and also has ideas for and examples of practical activities for different stages of the lesson. "
Science and cloning (B1B2)
Science and cloning
Words:Everyday Activities (A2B1)
At the top are pictures of 15 everyday activities. Below are the names of the activities. Can you put the pictures in the right boxes?
Using the internet 1 (B1B2)
"This article looks at searching the internet, online teacher development and using the net to increase students' communication practice..."
Using authentic materials (B1B2)
Using authentic materials is one of the mainstays of an imaginative and motivating higher level course, but rarely feature at levels lower than intermediate. There are several reasons for this, primarily a kind of fear that students will panic when faced with language that is largely unfamiliar, and a feeling that to prevent this the language should be edited to the students' level.
Reflective teaching: Exploring our own classroom practice (B1B2)
Write on! - Creative writing as language practice (B1B2)
There are three areas in which language learners at an intermediate level and above can benefit from creative writing.
'Weekend' by Fay Weldon (B1B2)
'Weekend' is a short story by the author Fay Weldon, and published by Penguin in 'Modern British Short Stories'. It originally appeared in 'Cosmopolitan' magazine in 1978.